Jazz

UT Tyler School of Performing Arts

 

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The jazz division offers small and large performing ensembles that are open to students of all majors. In addition to exciting performances, students enrolled in these ensembles will have the opportunity to work with the UT Tyler Jazz Faculty and the many jazz guest artists that visit campus! For additional information please follow us on Facebook, Instagram and subscribe to us on YouTube!

Jazz Faculty
Dr. Sarah Roberts
Mr. Gary Freeman

Patriot Jazz Ensemble
MUEN 1135-001 / 3135-001
MWF 2:30 - 3:25 p.m.

The Patriot Jazz Ensemble is the premiere big band of The University of Texas at Tyler. The Patriot Jazz Ensemble performs exceptional music of the past as well as more recent repertoire and is open to all university students by audition. Throughout its tenure, the Patriot Jazz Ensemble has shared the stage with a number of guest artists including Terrell Stafford, Stockton Helbing, Bruce Bohnstengel, Kenny Werner, Chris Vadala, Lou Marini, and Adam Larson. In addition to frequent performances on campus, the Patriot Jazz Ensemble assumes many community engagements, has headlined at the Frisco ISD Jazz Festival, and travels to Denton, TX each spring to perform at the Denton Arts and Jazz Festival.

Swoop Jazz Collective
MUEN 1131-009 / 3131-009
TR 2:00 - 3:20 p.m.

New for Fall 2020, the Swoop Jazz Collective is part of the UT Tyler Music Ambassador Outreach Program. For its inaugural season, the program will feature the Patriot Brass Quintet and the Swoop Jazz Collective. In addition to being coached by UT Tyler faculty, the ensembles will perform concerts on and off campus and collaborate in media projects connecting with the community. After completing an audition and being selected for the ensemble, all members of the Music Ambassadors program will receive a scholarship for their participation.

Patriot Jazz Combo
MUEN 1131-001 / 3131-001

The UT Tyler Jazz Combo performs a variety of jazz repertoire, often with vocal soloist(s), that is indicative of famous small groups throughout the history of jazz. In addition to relying heavily on improvisation, Jazz Combo allows participants the opportunity to write and arrange for the group. The Jazz Combo is open to all university students by audition. The ensemble performs frequently on campus and in other venues.

Jazz Improvisation
MUAP 1125 / 3125

Jazz Improvisation is a course designed for students to improve their ability to improvise by developing aural skills, theoretical knowledge, and command of their instrument. The course will use standard jazz tunes as vehicles to explore harmony, melody, rhythm, improvisational concepts, basic keyboarding skills, and composition in a functional way. Modes of the major scale, ii-V-I's, and the blues scale will be discussed as well as major, minor, and diminished chord structures with sevenths. Theory discussions and written assignments will be combined with ear training, listening examples, and playing standards to increase the student's ability to improvise in a stylistic manner.

All information regarding audition can be found here. Please contact Dr. Sarah Roberts at sroberts@uttyler.edu with any questions.